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<p>Several arguments Elihu here uses to persuade Job not only to give him a patient hearing, but to believe that he designed him a good office, and to take it kindly, and be willing to receive the instructions he was now about to give him. Let Job consider, 1. That Elihu does not join with his three friends against him. He has, in the foregoing chapter, declared his dislike of their proceedings, disclaimed their hypothesis, and quite set aside the method they took of healing Job. “<i>Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Job.33.1" href="/passage/?search=Job.33.1">Job 33:1</a>. They were all in the same song, all spoke in the same strain; but I am trying a new say, <i>therefore hearken to all my words</i>, and not to some of them only;” for we cannot judge of a discourse unless we take it entire and hearken to it all. 2. That he intended to make a solemn business of it, not to put in a word by the by, or give a short repartee, to show his wit: after long silence he <i>opened his mouth</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Job.33.2" href="/passage/?search=Job.33.2">Job 33:2</a>), with deliberation and design. Upon mature consideration he had already begun to speak, and was prepared to go on if Job would encourage him by his attention. 3. That he was resolved to speak as he thought and not otherwise (<a class="bibleref" title="Job.33.3" href="/passage/?search=Job.33.3">Job 33:3</a>): “<i>My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart</i>, the genuine product of my convictions and sentiments.” There was reason to suspect that Job’s three friends did not think, in their consciences, that Job was so bad a man as they had in their discourses, merely for the support of their hypothesis, represented him to be; and that was not fair. It is a base thing to condemn those with our tongues, to serve a turn, whom at the same time we cannot but in our consciences think well of. Elihu is an honest man, and scorns to do so. 4. That what he said should be easy, and not dark and hard to be understood: <i>My lips shall utter knowledge clearly</i>. Job shall readily comprehend his meaning, and perceive what he aims at. Those that speak of the things of God should carefully avoid all obscurity and perplexedness both of notion and expression, and speak as plainly and clearly as they can; for by that it will appear that they do themselves understand what they speak of, that they mean honestly, and design the edification of those they speak to. 5. That he would, in his discourse, make the best use he could of the reason and understanding God had given him, that life, that rational soul which he received from <i>the Spirit of God</i> and <i>the breath of the Almighty</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Job.33.4" href="/passage/?search=Job.33.4">Job 33:4</a>. He owns himself unfit to enter into the lists with his seniors, yet he desires they will not despise his youth, for that he is God’s workmanship as well as they, made by the same hand, endued with the same noble powers and faculties, and designed for the same great end; and therefore why may not the God that made him make use of his as an instrument of good to Job? With this consideration also we should quicken ourselves (and perhaps Elihu made that use of it) to do good in our places according to our capacity. God has made us, and given us life, and therefore we should study to use our life to some good purpose, to spend it in glorifying God and serving our generation according to his will, that we may answer the end of our creation and it may not be said that we were made in vain. 6. That he would be very willing to hear what Job could object against what he had to say (<a class="bibleref" title="Job.33.5" href="/passage/?search=Job.33.5">Job 33:5</a>): “<i>If thou canst, answer me</i>. If thou hast so much strength and spirit left thee, and art not quite spent with the distemper and the dispute, <i>set thy words in order</i>, and they shall have their due consideration.” Those that can speak reason will hear reason. 7. That he had often wished
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